"For the cover of the October 6, 2025, issue, the cartoonist R. Kikuo Johnson portrayed one of the simple pleasures afforded to new parents besieged by the pressures of a relentless consumer culture: the joy of watching your child play."
""A major concern that my wife and I shared while planning to start a family was that we might not have enough space in our small Brooklyn apartment," Johnson said."
""And that was before our daughter arrived, along with the gifts, the hand-me-downs, and all the essential 'learning' toys.""
A cover image depicted the simple pleasure of watching a child play amid the pressures of relentless consumer culture. New parents faced anxiety about limited space in a small Brooklyn apartment while planning to start a family. Space concerns existed before the child's arrival. The child's arrival brought additional possessions: gifts, hand-me-downs, and numerous 'learning' toys that further crowded living space. The accumulation of items contrasted with the quiet, meaningful satisfaction derived from observing unstructured play. The scene emphasizes how modest parental joys can persist despite material pressures and constrained urban living conditions.
Read at The New Yorker
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